In a joint message from Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women for the International Day for Women and Girls in Science on 11 February stated, "Our future will be marked by scientific and technological progress, just like our past. That future progress will be the greatest when it draws on the full talent, creativity and ideas of women and girls in science."

A concern has been heightened on
gender parity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects
(STEM) at every level of the education system by the UN agencies in the light
of the fact that women currently represented less than 30 per cent of the research
and development workforce worldwide.

In
Focus

"The rapidly growing science and technology sectors are vital
to national economies. Tackling some of the greatest challenges of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development — from improving health to combating climate
change — will rely on harnessing all talent. That means we need to achieve a
significant increase in the number of women entering and remaining in STEM
careers," stated Azoulay and Mlambo-Ngcuka while appealing for tackling
gender inequality in the sciences is dismantling the barriers to girls and
women, at home, in the classroom and in the workplace.

They added, "This requires a change in attitudes and the
challenging of stereotypes. We need to tackle biased perceptions amongst
teachers, employers, peers and parents of the suitability of girls and young
women to learn science – or learn at all – to pursue scientific careers or to
lead and manage in academic spheres." They argued that it was difficult
for girls to believe in themselves as scientists, explorers, innovators,
engineers and inventors when the images they see on social media, in textbooks
and in advertising reflect narrow and limiting gender roles

The UN agencies have urged the world community to ensure that
girls and women should be represented more equitably, and granted the full
opportunities they need to thrive in science-related disciplines and make the
cutting-edge discoveries of the future.

Afford more equitable opportunities for girls and women in
science-related disciplines: UNESCO and UN Women on International Day for Women
and Girls in Science

In a joint message from Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO
and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women for the
International Day for Women and Girls in Science on 11 February stated,
"Our future will be marked by scientific and technological progress, just
like our past. That future progress will be the greatest when it draws on the
full talent, creativity and ideas of women and girls in science."

A concerned has been heightened on gender parity in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects (STEM) at every level of the
education system by the UN agencies in the light of the fact that women
currently represented less than 30 per cent of the research and development
workforce worldwide.

"The rapidly growing science and technology sectors are vital
to national economies. Tackling some of the greatest challenges of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development — from improving health to combatting
climate change — will rely on harnessing all talent. That means we need to
achieve a significant increase in the number of women entering and remaining in
STEM careers," stated Azoulay and Mlambo-Ngcuka while appealing for
tackling gender inequality in the sciences is dismantling the barriers to girls
and women, at home, in the classroom and in the workplace.

They added, "This requires a change in attitudes and the
challenging of stereotypes. We need to tackle biased perceptions amongst
teachers, employers, peers and parents of the suitability of girls and young
women to learn science – or learn at all – to pursue scientific careers or to
lead and manage in academic spheres." They arged that it was difficult for
girls to believe in themselves as scientists, explorers, innovators, engineers
and inventors when the images they see on social media, in textbooks and in
advertising reflect narrow and limiting gender roles

The UN agencies have urged the world community to ensure that
girls and women should be represented more equitably, and granted the full
opportunities they need to thrive in science-related disciplines and make the
cutting-edge discoveries of the future.